:confused:HI EVERYONE WELL I WENT TO THE VEGG ,AND IAM VERY DISAPOINTED ,IM NOT SURE IF THIS IS SEIZURES OR SEVERE PANIC ATTACKS ,OK IM IN THE BED AND I WAS HAVING SOME TYPE OF ATTACK AND WHAT I WAS DOING WAS I STARTED FEELING VERY WEIRD AND MY EYES KEPT FLICKERING REALLY BAD I COULD NOT RESPOND TO THE STAFF I HEARD WHAT THEY WERE SAYING BUT I JUST COULDNT TALK,THIS HAPPENED FOR LIKE 4 OR 5 TIMES THE FIRST DAY I GOT THERE OK WHEN THEY SAW I TAKE XANAX 1 MG FOR PANIC ,BOOM THEY SENT IN THE PSYCHIATRIST AND THEY THE PSYCHIATRIST WAS TELLING ME ITS PANIC NOT SEIZURES I DONT KNOW ALLS I KNOW IS I HAVE NEVER HAD THESES SPELLS WHEN I FIRST STARTED XANAX AND I ONLY TAKE AS NEEDED WHEN I FEEL A ATTACK COMING ON .I WAS ALLWAYS TOLD ITS PANIC BUT IM NOT SURE MAYBE IT IS BUT I ASK IF PANIC CAN CAUSE YOU TO FAINT OR HAVE HORRIBLE HEADACHES AND ALL HAVE TOLD ME NO ,I GET DIZZY SOMETIMES BEFORE I FALL AND SOMETIMES I DONT EVEN FEEL IT COMING THEY HAD ME SO UPSET I WAS SUPPOSE TO STAY 3 DAYS BUT I LEFT AFTER 1 DAY BECAUSE THEY THE PSYCHIATRIST UPSET ME SO BAD THEY WANTED TO TAKE MY XANAX AWAY YES I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE TONS OF PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO DO ABUSE THEM BUT IM NOT ONE OF THEM I TOOK A XANAX AT LIKE 6AM THEN THEY DIDNT BRING ME ANOTHER TILL LIKE 10PM OR AFTER I LAID THERE WITH PANIC BUT I DIDNT ASK FOR ANY EITHER I WAS TOO UPSET ,SO WHAT DOES A SEIZURE DO AND CAN THEY SEEM THE SAME AS A PANIC ATTACK I AM SO CONFUSED CAUSE SOMETIMES I WILL BE HAPPY AND SINGING AND WALKING AND OUT OF THE BLUE I WILL JUST FALL FOR NO REASON AT ALL AND IM NOT EVEN THINKING ABOUT NOTHING ,LIKE SAY I WAS AT MY BROTHERS FOR A COOKOUT ONCE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN WITHOUT WARNING I FELL TO THE GROUND AND MY EYES DID THAT FLICKERING AND I COULDNT TALK OR MOVE AND MY BODY WENT LIMP WHICH IS WHAT IT DOES ANYTIME I HAVE A FALL MY HUSBAND WHOS 250 LBS CANT EVEN LEFT ME UP CAUSE IM TOO HEAVY TO LEFT AND IM WAY SMALLER THEN HE IS MY EYES JUST FLICKER FOR ABOUT 5 MINS SO CAN ANYONE TELL ME DOES THIS SOUND LIKE SEIZURES OR PANIC I WONT GET RESULTS BACK TILL 2 WEEKS PLUS WHY DID THEY SEND IN A PSYCHIATRIST I DIDNT GO THERE FOR THAT I WENT TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE SPELLS AND HEADACHES AND THE PSYCHIATRIST IS BLAMING IT ON MY XANAX WHICH I ONLY TAKE WHEN I FEEL A SPELL OR WHATEVER IT IS COMING ON LIKE I START GETTING REALLY SHAKY AND NERVOUS AND THEN I FREAK OUT AND THATS WHEN I START DOING THE EYE THING AND FAINT AND AFTER ITS OVER I CRY BUT SOMETIMES I DONT CRY SO IM VERY CONFUSED AND IM NOT HAPPY ABOUT THE HOSPITAL NOT THE STAFF BUT THE PSYCHIATRIST I DID NOT GO THERE FOR THAT I WENT FOR THE FAINTING AND HEADACHES SO I LEFT EARLY THEY WANTED ME TO STAY THE FULL 3 DAYS I STAYED FROM 6AM MONDAY TILL 10AM TUESDAY I WANTED OUT OF THERE FAST,SO ANYONE OUT THERE WHO CAN ANSWER MY QUESTIONS HERE PLEASE.
VICKIE

Vickie,

I don't know if they are panic attacks or seizures, but there could be two reasons they wanted to take away the xanax during the testing. One - is to rule out that the symptoms are a side effect of the drug and two - so the xanax doesn't mask any symptoms. You're probably best off having all tests without having the xanax in your system to see what's really going on.

They probably called in a psychiatrist because it appears that you were claiming that you needed to have the xanax, and that is why they are leaning towards calling it panic attacks. Just for the record, my seizures do not sound anything like yours.

At this point, it's probably best to wait for the results of the testing and discuss the concerns with your dr. In the meantime, start writing down a list of questions for your dr. and chart any other episodes you may have.

Please keep us posted and good luck.

Hi Vickie,

I asked my family about my eyes flickering like you describe
after you fall and my parents said,yes sometimes they do.
the main difference in me and you is that I do not know what
is going on around me at all,as I posted under your other thread,
after the drop yours could be simple partials where mine in definitely
complex partials,and sometimes the grand mals.
Good-luck and let us know what the docs say.Also as Life puts it,
the doctors could have wanted to take you off the meds for those
reasons,especially wanting to see if the Xanax could be causing you
to have seizures or hoping you would have a panic attack in front of
them,if they are panic attacks,but,I doubt it,especially the way you
say you are just walking along all happy and everything then bam you
fall,etc.
Take care,Sherri

sherri and life thanks for your replys ,i called the dr and they havent got my results back yet and what upset me was they wanted to put me on zoloft which i dont have a prob with that but they were saying panic before they even got my results back but the dr who i saw in his office and one came to the hospital said from what he saw so far does seem like seizures ,see back in sept 06 i started having these falls and i wasnt on xanax that long they put me on effexor xr for panic and i took a whole yr and i was still having the falls but not nothing like im having none ,i was doing my laundry lastnight and i felt dizzy and i had to sit down cause i felt like i was going to fall also i read on the internet that seizures some types that is also have depression is this true ? my head still hurts and everything and the main reason im depressed is because of the spells ,i cant drive ,i cant go into stores and i cant do nothing alone at home i even fall down for no reason the other night i was getting me a pepsi and i allmost fell and i was fine allday but iam under alot of stress due to the falls and maybe thats whats making it worse,i do know that i did this very same thing as a child and back in june i blacked out totally when i tried to take a walk ,see what happens is this i can go for days or a few weeks without any falls and im happy and singing and dancing and i went to nero dr that day and walked in there alone so proud and was talking to the staff about how proud i was and i wasnt feeling any different and was at the desk because the dr wanted me to go have the vegg done and boom down i went no warning no nothing,and im getting scared and also depressed because i hate living this way will they find out if its a seizures if i stayed 1 day i did have 5 attacks while i was there and when they did take the xanax away more or less i didnt have a panic attack i just laid there and waited to see if they'd bring me one i didnt ask for it but my chest was hurting and i felt horrible and before i got a xanax i had another attack with the eyes and i have never heard of panic making your eyes do this i have had panic in the past and or if it was panic i never felt this way .so im waiting on my results ,
and i will let you know as soon as i get my results.
vickie

Vickie,

I feel so bad that you have these attacks and they can't figure it out. Noone should have to suffer like this. I wonder why it's taking so long to get the results. It's a week already, you should get on the phone and demand some answers! I'm getting angry for you. Please keep us posted.

life,
i will keep you posted and i called yesterday and they said the drs havent looked at them yet so by what i posted does this sound like panic or seizures ? i have had what they told me were panic but everytime i call a mental place and tell them what i do the fainting and my eyes flickering and feeling like they are trying to roll back in my head they tell me it sounds like seizures said they have never heard of anyone that has fainted nor did the eye thing with a panic and if its panic id feel it coming on with whats happening now i sometimes dont feel it coming i just drop and lay there cant speak my eyes do that strange thing i feel numb my mouth trys to talk but i cant i hear the people but i cant say nothing then about 5 mins its over and this has been happening alot ,like i can go for weeks id say a month or sometimes 2 weeks then i have another attack then go a bit longer and feel great and think i have this thing licked then i will fall again .and lastnight i called a stress center and they told me that was i told them what i do sounds like seizures not panic so see those psychiatrist were saying panic when i dont even have my results back yet and if i have to go back again and they take the xanax so be it i will prove to them its not panic doing this i know my own body and it dont feel like a panic attack to me im calling them again today ,how long should it take for them to get the results back i was only there 1 day i never would have left but those psychiatrist had me so upset i wanted to go home they were putting words in my mouth that wasnt true plus i take 1 mg xanax as needed and they wanted to switch me to 0.5 of klonipins and lasttime i took a 0.5 of xanax i felt horrible my whole body hurt ,i was shaky and nervous ,couldnt sleep nor eat and alls i did for 3 whole days was cry thats when i went to a inpatient place because they thought i was depressed which i was but i been doing some reading off the net and it says some people get depression from seizures and i was depressed but it was because of my spells and not being able to drive and because i fainted all the time june was the worst month for me i blackedout totally and ended up at ER and they thought i overdosed on meds and i told them no i showed them what meds i took and alls i took was b/p and xanax as needed so that couldnt have done it because i switched b/p meds and im still fainting so i do not know what is going on do you think if i had the 5 attacks while i was there it will show them if its seizures or is seizures hard to catch???
i promise to keep you and sherri posted what do you do when you have seizures??? my mom told me as a child id just be out playing or standing in the house and id just passout and i was out cold a few times she said but the drs told her id out grow it well i did but i think its come back and seizures do run on my dad's side of the family and my brother has this thing he does but he dont fall down he takes his hands and shakes really bad and cant stop he can do this for hrs and hes done it his whole life hes now 47 and i think his is a form of epilep or something but back when we were small the drs dont know what they know today.let me know what your seizures do and please tell me if this sounds like panic or seizures i dont think its panic though cause panic makes me freakout and with what im doing now i just drop i dont have time to freakout......
vickie:angel:

Vickie,

I am not in a position to say whether what you are experiencing is either panic attacks or seizures. There are many different types of seizures and they differ for everyone. I have never had a normal EEG in my life, so for me, there is no question. Since you asked, I've had grand mal seizures, as well as smaller ones where I'm conscious, but completely unable to respond. It bothers me that they are taking their time getting around to giving you answers. What I can tell you is that stress can bring on seizures and in your case, perhaps the two have overlapped.

If I were you, at this point, I'd be calling the doctor's office daily and pushing the staff to get those results asap. Do not be concerned whether your episodes are panic attacks or seizures. The main objective is to figure out the source of them and get them under control. Speak up for yourself and be strong. Keep pressing for answers. Good luck.

I'm sorry you're having this problem & hope you find an answer soon. Have you been checked for Meniere's disease. You can have drop attacks & nystagmus with that. It also sounds like it could be seizures. Good luck.

Hi Vicki,
I can just tell you from my experience since I take Xanax and have seizures. I got in a small accident in my car but did not get knocked out. Five days after I got my first grand mal seizure. I took Xanax as needed before that. I've noticed only when I'm really tired my eyes tend to flicker like I can't keep them closed. My orginal Doc. told me to take the Xanax per the prescription to lessen stress and to sleep (lack of sleep caused the first one). The only thing now is Xanax is the only thing keeping away my seizures. Thats because I take 2 mg's 4 times a day which is alot. When I went in the hospital for a long term EEG, the 1st nice of sleep deprivation and no Xanax caused my auras to start which are terrible sounds like halucinating and time comes to a total stop. I know its my body sensing that I don't have the Xanax after a 24 hour period and causes my auras. So the next day of course I had a grand mal seizure. That's just my experience with Xanax and seizure. Try to take as little as possible if you need to take it or it will cause more problems which "mental" withdrawal. My Doc. says I can't stop them now until I find the correct seizure medication so Xanax don't even work for Anxiety anymore. Just be careful with them. I don't have the partial seizures but my eyes do twitch as times.

Fainting can cause eye flickering, and falling (obviously), so there's a reason to get that ruled out. Taking away the Xanax suddenly can cause seizures in someone who is not epileptic, but in my understanding of VEEGs is that they're done with as little medication as possible, to see how the body works off of meds. (that part would scare me- I'm a mess off meds). I've never had a VEEG, but have heard about them.

The shrink is just part of ruling out various things- I don't think they thought you were nuts, just doing a full evaluation. He can help figure out what things are NOT as well as what things are....:) I've talked to them before, just to rule out any stress related things, and they've been useful. I'd go back for the rest of the test, and if the shrink comes back (though you can refuse to see him, doing that makes it look like you're avoiding him- for whatever reasons- and that can be interpreted as a psychiatric part of why you're there- even if you're not.....just go with the flow :)). You need the best answers possible to get the best treatment possible.

If I had the chance to have a VEEG, I'd go- I'd be terrified of being off of the anticonvulsants (and no doc should cold turkey any benzodiazepine meds - Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin, Tranxene, etc since they can cause seizures in anybody, and cause a false positive reaction). And bring on the shrink- I'll yak enough to bore him out of the room !!! LOL

I hope you can find the reasons for what you're going through- it's hard to not know, and then have a bad experience trying to find out.

If I had the chance to have a VEEG, I'd go- I'd be terrified of being off of the anticonvulsants (and no doc should cold turkey any benzodiazepine meds - Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin, Tranxene, etc since they can cause seizures in anybody, and cause a false positive reaction). And bring on the shrink- I'll yak enough to bore him out of the room !!! LOL

I just got out of the hospital Saturday after an 11 day VEEG. They didn't take me off my meds completely until I had been there almost a week. I was titrated very slowly off the Topamax and Keppra I've been taking. I wish they had let me go cold turkey, but they don't want you to have a Grand Mal seizure as it affects the entire brain. They can't find a focal point for your seizures if your whole brain is affected!

My epi. doc wasn't happy with the simple partial seizures I had during my stay--it wasn't enough. When you have a VEEG, they want you to have complex partial seizures. Now my doc wants to repeat the test in a month or two.

No thanx!

I have complex partials anyway, so that wouldn't be a problem here !! But if you're not used to them, I guess they sound awful....I just feel the aura, then 'come to' very tired, feel like I've been hit by a bus, and want to sleep....

I guess the reason I'd want to have it done is to get the most updated diagnostic testing done with EEGs....almost all of my 20 minute ones come back fine since they're scheduled, and not during seizures. Only longer ones (24 hour was what my neuro found CPS waves on) find anything, unless I'm about 18 hours out of a seizure, then it's
'diffuse slowing'.... not that helpful, just different. :)

hi all well would the dr conseder letting me go back and try again and they didnt take the xanax but wanted to put me on anti d's but i was upset because of my fainting and i just wanted to be better and find out whats going on and the reason i got upset is because the psychiatrist kept coming in there trying to tell me i was hooked on xanax which i dont think iam but if they have to try again and take the meds so be it its just when i dont have a xanax to calm me down i cry and get nervous and terrifed and they wanted to lower my dose to 0.5 but if it would help find out whats wrong with me i will try anything at this point before they even took any of my medications i had 5 attacks because i freakedout and thats when i get the attacks is when im scared sometimes not .so by going can they also see if its panic or just seizures??? i been calling his office daily trying to find out if they have my results back but so far they havent and im getting impatient .so should i ask to be retested was 1 day enough ??
vickie

Vickie,

Did you ask when you can expect to receive the results? That should be a good starting point.

yes they told me when i left hospital id have the results back by friday or monday i was at hospital monday nov 19th and they told me that friday or the folloween monday and so far i still dont have results and i call everyday and i still get the same answer the dr hasnt looked at the results yet and im getting frustrated im at the point to where i either wait and see what my results are to find a new nero dr ,i need answers now and i dont know whats taking so long.
vickie

I know how frustrating it can be waiting for answers. Try and find out WHERE the holdup is. Has the report actually been written? Was it already sent to the dr? Try and find out where the problem is.

Psychiatrists typically aren't the best docs to deal with the difference between addiction, tolerance, and dependence- you don't sound addicted, although your body can become tolerant and dependent on the meds simply because they're in your system. The docs tend to call everything addiction, unless they're addiction specialists. It makes things so hard for people who take their meds as prescribed, and know the risks of cold turkey cut off from benzos....and a reasonable shrink SHOULD understand how risky that can be.

I'm sorry you're going through this. I've had to work with a lot of doctors, and my usual saying for the ones I don't like is "someone had to graduate bottom of the class".... although they might be smart, they have no people skills......If you were addicted, you'd be seeing negative effects of the Xanax in your life, and cravings, and doing anything to get more- not stay on the dose you have.

I hope this all leads to some answers for you.

NEUROWRECK,your right im not addicted i take only as needed when i start feeling nervous and shaky and if i dont take one when i start feeling this i freakout and get terrifed once i tried to NOT take one to see if i could get through the attack without one and i got myself so scared i called 911 and my heartrate was up to 130 the police came and said to me why didnt you take your xanax ? i said i dont know i was trying to see if i could without them so once i took 1 i calmed down ,and the dr im waiting on for results is my neuro dr who ran the test and i didnt have a prob with the psychiatrist coming in my room if they had been nicer but they wanted me to take zoloft which i have before and i was still fainting while taking them so i stopped i also took effexor xr for 1 yr and i was fainting on them also i have tried several anti d's none seem to work and the fainting never went away either ,and i have a appt with a psychiatrist in dec and my last psychiatrist i went to subscribe me the xanax 1 mg ,so why this place at the hospital wanted to switch me to konipins 0.5 i dont know i'd never make it on that low a dose last time i tried to taper off to 0.5 of xanax i was a total mess i was so shaky and nervous i cried nonstop my chest hurt horribly i couldnt sleep and couldnt eat i was in a inpatient place from depression and the reason i went in which i signed myself in myself was because i was so depressed over my fainting spells and couldnt drive or do anything like i use too and i got all depressed ,and i was looking on the net and saw somewhere that sometimes if you have seizures you have depression ,sometimes after i fall i will cry and sometimes i dont and in march is when i started falling more and more i couldnt even go to the car without fainting and coming home i'd faint so i just stayed home unless i had to go to drs ,people were telling me it was panic but im not so sure if thats what im going through or not ,cause i have had panic and i never fell down with panic nor did my eyes do the flickering ,and in june of this yr i thought to myself im going to go for a walk to see if i can do it well of course i didnt i walked down the street didnt even make it 2 blocks and i blackedout cold woke up at ER they though i had overdosed on something and i thought maybe it was my meds i was on so i stopped my levoxyl (thyrold meds) havent took them for 6 mos my levels are within range and i dont need the meds right now ,i was also on norvasc 5 mg b/p meds i stopped them too and i still fainted so it wasnt them and on the xanax i took only as needed never more or never sooner then 8 hrs apart i did once at 6 hrs but that was because i was having a attack and the ER dr told me i could to calm me down i have been so bad see this all started with the panic i assumed it was panic 2 weeks after my surgery in feb i had my 1st attack and i freaked out so from then on i was soooo terrifed about being home alone my hubby had to work and my kids were in school ,i had the phone beside me at all times and was so scared i'd die before i had a chance to call 911 ,i even called my hubby at work begging him to PLEASE come home i was that scared ,i was even on the 1 mg xanax then ,so after awhile i got a little better where i could leave the house and drive but i wasnt fainting at all then ,i was even going to my daughters softball games and everything ,then in sept 06 i went in to see my dr and i fainted right in his front office just once then in dec i fainted on chirstmas day then 2 more times in dec then from jan to march i'd faint here and there more then i was in dec .ok i thought i was fine so i drove to my drs who was out of town and when i got home i got another attack so i didnt drive again since in april it got worse my dr found my b/p was 170/118 WOW so he told me to keep track of it for awhile and if it got higher to let him know so i went in and showed him the chart my b/p was high it was anywhere from 170--180/118-/125 my heartrate was allways running 125-130 so i was put on lisinipril 10 mg and my b/p got better it went down to 120/80 or 118/69 but at times my heartrate was high and sometimes normal .then that dr left so i found a new dr in my town and he put me on norvasc 5 mg and my b/p was like 140/100 he didnt seem to think it was anything to worry about i kept telling him to please change brands or up the dose he refused so finally after many phone calls (he must of got sick of me calling) he called in fosinipril 10 mgs i took them till nov when i saw the neuro dr he switched me back to the lisinipril only he wanted me on 20 mgs i said id rather take 10 mg to see first and so far my b/p has been like 104/69 --120/69-80 heartrate is never above 80 so that part is better ,now on the fainting i still have no clue as to why i faint like before i went to neuro dr the week before after not driving since march i drove a whole week and was walking into stores feeling so proud and i thought i was going to make it i was so proud too and happy ,so i WALK into the neuro drs office very proud of myself went to his office got checked out done great ,so he decides to have me go be tested for seizures to be sure and i was standing at the desk and waiting for the staff to make my appt and i was talking to them saying how proud i was because i was driving and hadnt fainted in 6 weeks then without any warning at all BAM down i went on the floor my eyes started flickering i couldnt move nor talk i could hear them talking but i could not answer back i just laid there and the dr said to my husband that it sure looked like it was a seizure to him now im just waiting on the results and i sure wish they would hurry up i want to be better now i know i hope its not seizures but if it is then at least then i'd have a answer to whats wrong with me and like the dr told me if i did this as a kid its very possible its seizures and they can come back and maybe hormones do play a roll in this cause i went without a monthly for 8 mos then started again yesterday .so i hope they call soon im trying to be as patient as possible .and does anyone know why my left shoulder by my neck gets this burning sensation in it it comes and goes and i dont know if its related to this or not ..
SORRY SO LONG OF WRITTING ,i just wanted to get everything out ...
vickie

Your situation sounds very similar to mine about 12 years ago....I started fainting for no apparent reason, so I was tested for all sorts of things. The tilt table test finally got an answer- I have an autonomic nervous system disorder that doesn't allow my heart rate and blood pressure to resond to normal cues to go up or down. I've been at 44/16 (on the tilt table) and 240/130 after anesthesia, and anywhere in between- my 'normal' is around 90/60, with a heart rate of 66 or so.....but that's after being put on Inderal and Neurontin. I also have Klonopin, which is actually a good med for changing to a different benzodiazepine since it has a longer half life, so gives you longer antianxiety relief- it's also a seizure medication, so you get 2 for the price of one !!

I know what you mean about docs not listening. I have a sheet I take to the hospital for my chart whenever I'm admitted, listing my current meds, and the time I take them, and why; there's also a sheet of meds that I've had trouble with, listing the symptoms I had and why I don't want them (some are actual allergies). A doc in October ordered Lyrica for me, without telling me, and it made me so groggy (almost to the point of semi-conscious), that my neuro came in on his day to do rounds, and thought I was faking a seizure when I was trying to wake up from the 'fog' to talk to him; he pinched me so hard to try and wake me up (I'm on a lot of blood thinners, so pinching wasn't a good choice to do 'painful' stimuli- I was that out of it), and left bruising so bad, and my hand so swollen that an investigation was done.

I had the chief medical officer, risk management, patient relations, and security up there (to take photos) because of the bruises.....none of that would have happened if the doc would have looked at the page of "don't give me" meds, and paid attention. The blood thinners didn't help-- but paying attention to what I 'said' would have avoided the whole situation. Lyrica knocked me on my butt bad (which stinks since I've got fibromyalgia too, and that's been approved for that- guess the pain goes away as the coma sets in....:) ) Docs need to understand that we know our own bodies better than they do- they may have the science behind things, but we know when something isn't right.

Klonopin may not be so bad. It lasts longer - half-life is like 3-4 days. I take mine at night and a dose for seizures, so a fair amount, but I don't wake up groggy from it. Also, ironically, the med (Inderal) for high blood pressure keeps mine pretty stable, and while I still have autonomic symptoms frequently (chest blotching, cold limbs, bluish lips, fatigue and need to sleep, etc), I don't faint hardly ever anymore. The seizures are about 5-8 a month, with some at night, so I wake up post-ictal, and feeling hit by a bus. Inside of my lips and cheeks are chewed up.

I hope you can find someone to listen to you about the meds. You might try the Klonopin to shut them up, and if it doesn't work, let them know, but it does take the edge off longer than Xanax, and is no more of a risk for dependence (if you take it your body will get tolerant to it- that's normal when something is taken for a while, of many types of medications- and not a sign of addiction). Just don't try to go cold turkey off of any type of anxiety med- it can cause major problems.

I wish you the best in this bunch of hassles you're going through. :)

Hi Vickie,

Sorry I haven't been able to write to you lately,but,I was having
some bad seizures and I live alone,so my parents came and picked
me up,I just got home two hours ago,my parents are old fashioned
and do not have a computer,I hate that.

I hope you get you test results soon,and I agree with life,keep on
calling the doctors office until they can tell you about your test.

I'll say a prayer for you tonight,and take care of yourself.I am sure
you will let all of us know about the test as soon as you find out.
Thank God I feel so much better now,having these seizures can really
sometimes be depressing I am sure of that.
Good-luck,and again take care,Sherri

need to understand that we know our own bodies better than they do- they may have the science behind things, but we know when something isn't right :)

I agree with this 100%. It is completely theory to them when it comes to the brain. Like others have posted, try to keep in the loop. It is your bodies. Not a guinea pig for them to experiment. If you can not do it, see if a friend or family member will take the time. Write down every thing you think is important to your health, like meds, procedures, your reactions, and maybe keep it on your chest at all times and show it to any doctor or assistant that talks with you. I did. I know that sounds extreme but it depends on how much you want to live. I hope you get better and good luck. ;)

hi everyone ,well i finally got my results ,they say its not seizures.so now im really worried and confused and they want me to do the tilt test which will be fine i got me a sooner appt with my neuro dr for dec 18th it was jan 8th ,im confused because when i fall it doesnt feel like a panic ,they ask was i stressed yes iam stressed bigtime been stressed for along time but i been stressed before and never fainted ever,so i take the tilt test then what if it comes out normal ,i have had stress since 2000 its a long story i will write that on the stress boards you can check it out there ,i cried today cause not that i wanted to have seizures but now i know something is wrong and i dont know whats going on with me i faint my eyes flicker i cant speak my head hurts i cant drive i cant go into stroes without falling im at the end of my rope and i been crying allday cause i just want answers to whats going on .i do not believe its panic cause i have had many panic attacks and i never fainted from them alls i did with them was get scared and terrifed and cried and couldnt breath ,with what im doing now i just drop to the floor and now im scared something is wrong and they wont find it and i may die because fainting is not normal and imay be a little stressed but im not as stressed as i was and i just dont know anymore .i wish i had some answers to whats going on with my body i have never done this except when i was 4 and i told them this now what will they be able to find with the tilt test?? and will it show them whats wrong ? and if this test comes back normal then what ? i been sitting here allday wondering what to do next go to a stress center or what ? i was so hoping they'd find something and my other neuro dr wanted to do another MRI cause he said things can change this dr didnt order a MRI alls he done was have me go to that hospital for the veeg which came back normal they said .so what i dont understand is this why do i fall and why do my eyes flicker and i cant talk it sounds like seizures but they say no .so i been upset allday cause i wanted to know whats wrong with me and i still dont have any answers should i find a different dr after the tilt test if it dont show nothing and another thing why does my head hurt all the time if i dont take the darvacets for my head id be crying from the pain ,and i do take xanax 1 mg and i dont think its the xanax doing this either i dont know what else to do and all the anti d's i have tried none worked i was still fainting on them so if i was still fainting and they gave me the ones to help for panic why didnt they help? and the xanax i take as needed 1 mg i take 3 times a day but its cause i get so shaky and nervous .but im going to try to get off them but by doing so im going into a hospital to do it i cant do it on my own and im just a little scared that if i do come off them i will end up with more panic attacks so im so confused ,but i will let the dr see if im ready to come off them one mental place told me if im under alot of stress that coming off the xanax would not be the right time she said wait till i get my stress under control first and i dont know how to lower my stress im trying hard to get over this but if you keep falling and dont know why how can you get rid of the stress im scared that i may have some type of tumor or something in my head im really scared about all this and to me and i even called many mental places and they said it sounds like seizures can a veeg be wrong ???
oh how i wish i could find answers to all my troubles .
thanks all for letting me vent here im just so upset and frustrated not knowing whats wrong with me.
vickie

Vickie,

At least you're finally getting some answers now. It doesn't matter what is causing these attacks, it's important that they get to the root of the problem and treat it so it doesn't happen anymore. Let the doctors do what they have to do and find the right medication to get it under control. It doesn't matter if it's seizures or anxiety. What matters most is having you feel better so you don't have these episodes anymore, right?

Please don't worry about any stigma that you feel might be attached to being labeled with an anxiety disorder, if that's what it turns out to be. Can't tell you how many millions of people out there have it. At least you'll be smart enough to get it under control. Please do not stress out over this. I'm really glad you posted an update. Please continue to stay in touch and let us know how the tilt test goes.

The tilt table test isn't bad, and it might give you some good answers for the fainting. When I had the tilt table test, I was nervous about IT, but generally not anxious about other things- besides not knowing what in the heck was wrong with me. :) I bombed the tilt table test, and they finally had a diagnosis they could help me with- neurocardiogenic syncope, which is just a fancy word for keeling over because blood pressure doesn't respond to changes in position. Being in one position too long and heat are major triggers for me. I'm on the meds for it, which has helped a lot. In the beginning I passed out 11-12 times in 2 weeks....on a hardwood floor. My housemate at the time (a co-worker) would hear me from "her" end of the house, and it would wake her up. I kept telling myself I was just stressed, but finally one night, I let her call 911 when I woke up (usually within a few minutes of being flat, and blood getting to my brain again). I couldn't get up- too weak, so I went to the hospital. They got me into the neurologist that day, and then things started getting checked out. I have this (a form of dysautonomia- fancy word for autonomic nervous system not working right- the part that controls involuntary stuff like blood pressure, etc) AND epilepsy, so it gets confusing sometimes.

The docs sound like they're ordering tests in a logical manner- maybe because it sounds so similar to my situation !! They have to rule out things one at a time.

Are you worried that they're just going to tell you it's all anxiety? That's a real disorder, and nothing to be ashamed of. People have stressful lives, and sometimes it becomes overwhelming, and the body responds to that- it's not like you can turn it on and off like a malingering person who is doing it on purpose. Anxiety is real- it's not anybody's fault, so if they decide that's what it is, you're not to blame. And, there are things to help it. Keep posting, so we all know how you're doing :)

thanks for your responces ,and no im not worried about them saying its anxiety cause i allready have that only mine turns into panic alot but i have tried many anxiety/panic medications and i still fell down while on them and yes i will do whatever it takes for the dr to rule out everything in order to get to the cause of my falling spells ,i dont fall all the time just ever so often but it does stress me out not knowing why i do it i guess panic can make you faint but i have had panic before and when ever i had a panic attack id feel it coming and id cry and id breath heavy and then id hypervent but with the falls im having now i dont do any of that i just fall and then my eyes does that strsnge thing but i will let the dr do his job and test me for whatever needs done to help find out whats going on ,yes i been stressed for along time over many things but its getting better except for the falling spells and thats what im the most stressed over but i will just relax and let the dr do his job maybe it is panic maybe not i have no idea but this dr is one good dr so i will let him do what hes suppose to do and then he will keep trying till he finds the cause og my trouble right??
i will keep you posted so far i havent fainted since coming home from the hospital nov 20th but i dont leave my house either i do with my hubby and i can walk to and from the car and i dont faint so maybe its im scared of being out in public but i will let the dr find out what is going on .hes the dr and im suppose to let him do his job right? and if it is panic how do i get rid of it ? i allready take xanax for my panic and im sure there is a anti d medication out there to help with panic if thats what it is but i have tried so many now and none has worked so far but i will be patient and relax and let him do what he has to do hes a specilist so hes good my sisters and a brother in law both went to him and they found the cause of there troubles they werent fainting but he fixed what was wrong with them a neuro does mre then just fainting he helps with neuro stuff right .so on dec 18th i will get appt for the tilt test and then go from there no matter how many test i have to do im doing it till they find my trouble like my xanax i know for a fact its not them cause i started fainting when i wasnt even on them that long and i never had the headaches like i have now so i will just let the dr do what ever he has to in order to help me solve this mistory .and im going to try my hardest to not get stressed but yes the day of the test i will most likely be nervous and scared i allways am .but i will do fine i will keep you all posted though .
have a good weekend and i will keep in touch .
and i thank all of you for helping me with all my questions 1 good thing is its not seizures that was the good news .
i will be back soon ....
vickie:angel:

Vickie,

You sound like you certainly have the right attitude now. Try not to stress out over the tests. Hoping they can figure it out fast for you. Looking forward to hearing an update. ttys.

Hi Vickie,

Years ago my mom had problems with fainting from anxiety
and it ended up being her blood pressure and heart.She has
been on medicine for years and still kicking,more energy than
me,if it ends up being that.But,like Life said,I am glad to see
you now have the right attitude.Since my mom found the right
meds. for her problems which I am sure you will,she has never
fainted again.Good-luck and you can always vent here as much
as you like.
Take care,Sherri

If it is neurocardiogenic syncope, and you feel the "lights out' feeling coming during the tilt table test, you'll have a big answer, and a treatable one. It took me some time to get on the right meds, but then it was a major difference.

Something you can do when you feel like you're going to faint is tighten your thigh muscles- sounds weird, but it forces blood 'up', and not stuck in your legs. And, it won't hurt anything (just don't do it during the tilt test, or they won't get a true result). :)

hi everyone ,well got some more news first off they are saying they DIDNT pick up any seizures ok i got sooner appt for tuesday dec 11th ,ok here goes nov 13th i had a spell not a big one but i fell down wasnt breathing heavy just laid there calm with my eyes flickering ,ok i get to hospital on nov 20th and had 5 attacks there they were a bit worse then the one on nov 13th ok i come home im fine then dec 4th i went to my mom's and guess what i fell only this time i dont remember nothing i was out cold and i tried to talk and my family couldnt understand what i was saying and when after about 10 mins thats the logest i have ever been out the only thing i remember is i was talking to my sisters and all of a sudden my mind went blank and i couldnt think of what i was doing and they said i just fell and was out for 10 mins and my one sister said it looked like a seizure she said that was no panic attack .i cant remember nothing i was OUT and before i could hear people talking this time i didnt so the dr said for my family to write down everything they saw and im taking it to him on the 11th i dont care let them say panic we know our bodies and this isnt no panic to me i know what panic feels like and this is nothing like that plus i called around to several hospitals and told them what i been doing and they ALL said it sounds like seizures or possibly epilepsy and see my brother has epilepsy and a aunt and uncle .so i do the tilt test then what im allmost possitive this is seizures and maybe epilepcy my sister said it sure looked like it was to her and my mom was there and she said what she saw is the same as i did when i was 4 and they said my mouth was moving funny and my sister said when i finally spoke it came out like a moan and no one understood what i was saying and then i fell asleep on my way home with hubby of course and when i got home i went to sleep again and slept all evening so can any of you tell what this may be now im still going to the drs but sometimes drs can be wrong i had 1 dr who was wrong about my health once and i quit him ,and i went to that hospital 1 day and maybe they just didnt pick up no seizures at the time can MRI's or what other testing do you need done to find seizures or epilepsy?????
vickie:angel: GOD IS WATCHING OVER ME.....

Still best to leave the diagnoses to the doctors and the tests, although, you might want to take your sister with you to the doctor to describe for him what she saw. Witness reports of seizures can be extremely helpful, especially when EEGs don't catch all that goes on, between seizures. You might have both situations- seizures and the syncope; some fainting causes seizure like activity, and some seizures have fainting type activity, and sometimes you have both....

I have had epilepsy all my life as you know,and some of my
EEG's have been normal(not many)and nothing has ever
showed up on my MRI and CT scans.Yet my doctor still has
diagnosed me with E. and I have been on meds.I am sure
this is getting very frustrating for you.I hope you can still
have a Merry Christmas.Keep us informed.
Take care,Sherri

thanks all and yes im very frustrated i cry alot because im scared to dealth cause i dont know whats wrong with me and i feel like i have no life ,but my sister is writting down the whole thing she saw and im taking to dr he said that would be a good thing that way he can see further into whats going on with me believe me once they figure this out im celerbrating bigtime ,yes i will keep you all informed neuro when you got on the table what happened? and how did they figure out you had the synscope? and it may be my blood pressure but when ever i go to dr it runs good like 120/90 or 100 last time but that was before he switched my b/p brands im going to try and see my internal med dr friday if i can get in because my chest at the bottom and all down my stomach hurts horrible i have diarea ,i just feel yuky and im getting depressed too over this i cant drive and im a bit dizzy at times im trying not to be stressed but its hard to do and i will try to have a good christmas but you know what i want for chirstmas is for the fainting and all i been through to go away but i have to have a good christmas for my kids and family after my family saw what i done they called to check on me and the scarry part is i have never ever had anything like i did dec 4th at my moms and it scared me to dealth and im still scared i sure hope and pray this dr finds out whats going on with me i cant hardly cope with it all not knowing and i dont want to live the rest of my life like this oh how i hate my life right now ,but hes a specialist and he should find out what is going on and with my sisters help by telling what she saw he may be better able to tell im hoping and then the tilt test too.
thanks all your all so special cause i sure need you guys right now as iam so terrifed and scared.
vickie gods :angel:

Hi Vickie,

This is just a thought,have you ever been checked for or
told that you have hyponatremia(low sodium)?The reason
I ask is about 4 years ago I had to go to ER because of a
very bad seizure and while in ER I guess they checked all my
levels and on the ER report it stated that I have hyponatremia,
I researched it and it can cause seizures,but,of course when I
mentioned it to my neurologist he seemed to ignore it,so I
then went to my general practitioner and he told me to talk to
my neurologist,I then went to another neurologist and he just
wanted me to take an EEG etc. that I just had done within the
past 3 months.Bottom line I could not get any other doctor to
check into it.Take care and good luck,Sherri

Hyponatremia can be a cause of seizures, especially for folks who drink excessive amounts of water (yes you can be too hydrated !!) in a relatively short period of time. It's generally reversed with either restricting fluids or increasing salt in the diet- but you need a blood test and doc to tell you which to do..... but it is known to cause seizures.